Window or door facade

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a custom made magnetic pad having a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material and a second side. The second side displays a graphic representation. The graphic representation is chosen from a window or door and includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a window or door facade, and morespecifically, to magnetic window or door facades that are applied to theexterior or interior of buildings.

2. Description of the Related Art

A recent innovation in garage doors has been the inclusion of a seriesof decorative windows incorporated usually in the upper section of thegarage door. These windows are formed in individual panels of the uppersection and provide daylight illumination of the closed garage. A windowopening is formed in each panel. Conventionally, a rather cumbersomewindow and window framework system is then inserted in the opening.

However, many homeowners are hesitant to cut openings in their garagedoors, especially if they desire the aesthetic effect of a window, buthave no utilitarian need for windows in their garage door.

Moreover, many garage doors provide insulating capabilities, and cuttingthrough a panel may compromise its insulating properties.

In recent years, the building codes regulations of some states in theUnited States of America either do not permit garage doors to havewindows, or the window must meet stringent wind codes because of thepotential risk of hurricanes. Thus, the homeowner is either stuck with awindowless garage door, or pay for expensive windows that meet thebuilding codes regulations. This represents an inconvenience to thehomeowner who is use to the aesthetic effect of windows in their garagedoor.

The prior art teaches a method for creating the appearance of garagedoor windows in which an array of dark-colored shapes is painted on thedoor to create the desired illusion. Unfortunately, homeowners may notwish to undergo the chores of handling paints, brushes, and theassociated cleaning. Furthermore, painting an array of consistentlooking windows requires great skill and labor.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,345 entitled “Garage Door Window Facade” to Pelusiodiscloses a garage door window facade is constructed from a flat panelhaving a plurality of apertures shaped to resemble small windowopenings. The assembly is rigidly secured to a standard garage door bysecurity means such as bolts, screws, adhesive, or the like to give theillusion that the garage door has windows.

A disadvantage of the windows of the Pelusio reference is that onceengaged, the security means are very difficult to remove in the eventany component of the window requires replacement. In addition, thenumber of components that constitute the window provides a product thatis difficult to assemble as well as to disassemble. Also, the increasedcosts involved with the various components, along with the laborrequired for its assembly, limit its universal application for allgarage door installations.

United States Published Patent Application No. US20020157294A1, entitled“Magnetic Decorative Appliqués” to Stanley, discloses multiple magneticdecorative appliqués for attaching to a garage door. Each appliquéincludes a sheet having a magnetic material on one side and a smoothlayer on the other side. The smooth side includes painted or printeddecorative matter in the form of alpha/numeric indicia.

Unfortunately, the Stanley published patent application is only directedto seasonal decorations and not to a window facade that provides theillusion of real windows.

Consequently, there is a need in the art for an inexpensive garage doorwindow facade that is easily constructed and installed. There is afurther need in the art for a garage door window facade that providesthe illusion of real windows.

Accordingly, many homeowners wish to provide a more pleasing aestheticappearance to their garage door without incurring significant expenseand without sacrificing the structural integrity of their existinggarage door.

There is a further need in the art for a garage door window facade thatis resistant to the elements of weather and retains its appearance overtime.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention offers at least one of the following advantages:

-   provides an aesthetically-pleasing metallic surface having the    appearance of windows or doors formed therein without incurring the    expense of installing real windows.-   provides a window or door facade that may be installed without    cutting openings into a pre-existing metallic surface.-   provides a door or window facade that is resistant to the effects of    long-term exposure to the elements.-   provides a window or door facade that is easy to apply and remove    from a metallic surface without additional means of support and    without causing damage to the support surface.-   provides safety and security to the homeowner by not having glass    incorporated in the design of the product.-   provides the homeowner with a product that it not subject to    stringent Hurricane wind codes/regulations implemented by various US    coastal counties.

The present invention satisfies the need of the homeowner of havingwindows in their garage door in places where the stringent Hurricanewind codes/regulations do not permit the garage to have windows.

The present invention solves significant problems in the art byproviding a magnetic window or door facade that is easy to install,attractive in appearance, inexpensive to manufacture, and resistant tovarious weather conditions.

The invention concerns to a magnetic pad comprising:

-   a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material    and a second side,-   wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and-   wherein the graphic representation is chosen from a window or door.

In addition, a protective coating is added to the second side.

The graphic representation is applied to the pad by screen-print,digital print, paint, stencil, ink, or vinyl film. Furthermore, the padis shaped by die-cut or manually to the shape of the graphics.

The graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality ofgeometric panels.

Furthermore, the present invention concerns a method for enhancing theappearance of a metallic surface comprising:

-   placing a window or door facade on the metallic surface, wherein the    window or door facade is cut to a user-defined shape and size and    comprises:-   a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material    and a second side,-   wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and-   wherein the graphic representation the graphic representation is    includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

The grille and the plurality of geometric panels are color-coded tomatch the metallic surface.

In addition, the present invention concerns a custom made window or doorfacade comprising:

-   a sheet cut to a user-defined shape and size, the sheet having a    first side having a magnetic material and a second side,-   wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and-   wherein the graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality    of geometric panels.

The foregoing has outlined rather broadly the more pertinent andimportant features of the present invention in order that the detaileddescription of the invention that follows may be better understood, andso that the present contribution to the art can be more fullyappreciated. Additional features of the invention will be describedhereinafter, which form the subject of the claims of the invention. Itshould be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the concept andthe specific embodiments disclosed may be readily utilized as a basisfor modifying or designing other window facade for carrying out the samepurposes of the present invention. It should also be realized by thoseskilled in the art that such equivalent structures do not depart fromthe spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The description of the invention, together with the accompanyingdrawings, should not be construed as limiting the invention to theexample shown and described, because those skilled in the art to whichthis appertains will be able to devise other forms thereof within theambit of the appended claims.

FIG. 1 a illustrates the invention as installed on a typical garagedoor.

FIG. 1 b illustrates the invention as installed on an alternate door.

FIG. 2 shows embodiments of the design for the window facade accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows more embodiments of the designs for the window facadeaccording to the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the magnetic window facadeaccording to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention offers significant improvements over prior artattempts to provide a metal surface with a window facade in an outdoorsurface of a building. The advantages include:

-   -   No tools are needed for installation or removal;    -   The materials of construction are weather-, rust- and        stain-resistant;    -   Installation is readily accomplished by merely allowing the        magnetic pad to stick to the metallic surface;    -   A tight seal around the perimeter of the metallic surface is        attained;    -   All components are capable of being color-coded together to        match the color of the dwelling surrounding architecture;    -   No interference occurs with the metal surface operation;    -   The enclosure can roll up for storage; and    -   The overall cost to manufacture is low since there are no moving        parts and the enclosure is lightweight.

The window facade of the present invention is custom designed to fit aspecific door. Thus, unlike the prior art decorations, the window facadeaccording to the present invention will not work on all doors, and needto be custom designed to fit the manufactures dimension specification ofthe garage door. In addition, the window facade provides the customerwith the color to match their home/environment.

The present invention concerns a magnetic pad 10 comprising:

-   a sheet 20, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material    30 and a second side 40,-   wherein the second side displays a graphic representation 50; and-   wherein the graphic representation is chosen from a window or door.

The invention process would implement a new use for flexible magneticmaterial sheeting of any gauge or color held by magnetic attractionagainst a support surface. The graphic surface would have colors appliedpermanently by means of, but not limited to, screen-print, digitalprint, paint, stencil, ink, or vinyl film. The invention would be eitherdie-cut or manually cut to the shape of the graphics.

Furthermore, the magnetic pad 10 comprises a protective coating layer 60on top of the graphic representation. Coating layer 60 protects thegraphics from environmental conditions in case the magnetic pad 10 isused outside of the building.

The graphic 50 of the window or door facade includes a grille 70 and aplurality of geometric panels 80, each of which is formed with apredetermined geometric profile creating the illusion of a true window.Preferably, panels 80 are dark or black in color, but may be any othercolor that provides the illusion of depth. Panels 80 may have perfectlyflat surfaces, or it may be textured to enhance the illusion of depth.

The grille may be any color; thus, the grille can match the color of thehome/environment.

The use of magnetic means enables the window or door facade to be easilyfitted to the metallic surface without the need for tools and withoutdrilling into, or otherwise affecting, the existing metallic surface,and thus, can avoid impinging on any manufacturer's warranties,especially of garage doors.

The window or door facade may be easily removed from the metallicsurface for servicing; and in the event that the metallic surface, suchas a door, breaks down and needs replacing, it is a simple matter toremove the window or door facade from the metallic surface and attach itto a replacement metallic surface.

As the door or window facade is placed outdoors, and therefore exposedto various weather conditions, it is recommended that all the materialsof the window or door facade are non-corrosive, resistant to colorchange, and inexpensive to manufacture.

The window facade according to the present invention is a durableproduct made to withstand all environmental conditions including, butnot limited to wind, rain, snow, direct sunlight, and earthquakes.

FIG. 1 a illustrates the invention as installed on a typical garagedoor. FIG. 1 b illustrates an alternate door is illustrated which isstill metal, and, as previously described, the arrangement of themagnetic facade may be of any pattern selected by the user.

FIG. 2 shows embodiments of the design for the window facade accordingto the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows more embodiments of the design for the window facadeaccording to the present invention

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the magnetic pad 10 of theinvention.

Tight surface-to-surface contact between the magnetic sheet and themetallic door provides an effective seal along the full length of thepad.

The shape of the magnetic pad may take the form of a window or doorfacade and the choice of colors, lines, and denotations is at theselection of the user.

The magnetic pad of the present invention may be used on metal metallicsurfaces, particularly, but not limited to, garage doors, doors ofmobile homes, motor homes, or the like, refrigerator doors, filecabinets.

The window or door facade is easy to put on and take off because of themagnetic attraction, and no electricity is required. The window facadeof the invention is very light in weight and weather resistant.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art thatchanges and modifications may be made without departing from thisinvention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications that fall withinthe true spirit and scope of this invention.

A casual inspection of the metallic surface will not reveal that thewindow or door is not real. The metallic surface equipped with the novelinvention has a greatly enhanced aesthetic appeal, and the homeowner hasnot been required to cut holes in the metallic surface to retrofitwindows or doors thereto, or to incur the expense of a new garage door.

Moreover, since the magnetic pad, according to the invention, is thin instructure, the window or door facade is almost flush with the metallicsurface and does not interfere with the opening and closing of themetallic surface such as a door.

The invention solves a need for window or door facade that are easilyinstalled and removed, space-saving, timesaving, weatherproof, durable,non-invasive, low maintenance, conveniently stored, and functionsoutdoors and indoors. It may be used in residential or commercialsetting on any ferrous surface.

For installation, the consumer would clean the support surface with soapand water and dry completely using a clean dry cloth and then allow toair dry. The invention is then applied flush with the support surface.

The present invention also concerns a method for enhancing theappearance of a metallic surface comprising:

-   placing a window or door facade on the metallic surface, wherein the    window or door facade is cut to a user-defined shape and size and    comprises:-   a sheet, the sheet having a first side having a magnetic material    and a second side,-   wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and-   wherein the graphic representation the graphic representation is    includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.

The grille and the plurality of geometric panels are color-coded tomatch the metallic surface.

Furthermore, the present invention concerns a custom made window or doorfacade comprising:

-   a sheet cut to a user-defined shape and size, the sheet having a    first side having a magnetic material and a second side,-   wherein the second side displays a graphic representation; and-   wherein the graphic representation is includes a grille and a    plurality of geometric panels.

Finally, the present invention concerns a custom made window or doorfacade comprising:

-   a sheet;-   at least one magnet attached to the sheet; and-   a graphic representation placed on the sheet;-   wherein the graphic representation includes a grille and a plurality    of geometric panels.

The users may change the decorations as frequently as desired withoutcausing damage to the support structure. Also, it is reusable for manyyears, not just a one-time application.

In addition, the present invention provides protection to the homeowner,because the content behind the structure is not visible to people tryingto take a look of the content behind the structure.

The invention has been described in detail with particular emphasis onthe preferred embodiments thereof, but it should be understood thatvariations and modifications within the spirit and scope of theinvention might occur to those skilled in the art of which the inventionpertains.

1. A custom made magnetic pad comprising: a sheet, the sheet having afirst side having a magnetic material and a second side, wherein thesecond side displays a graphic representation; and wherein the graphicrepresentation is chosen from a window or door.
 2. A magnetic padaccording to claim 1, further comprising a protective coating adjacentto the second side.
 3. A magnetic pad according to claim 1, wherein thegraphic representation is applied to the pad by screen-print, digitalprint, paint, stencil, ink, or vinyl film.
 4. A magnetic pad accordingto claim 1, wherein the pad is shaped by die-cut or manually to theshape of the graphics.
 5. A magnetic pad according to claim 1, thegraphic representation includes a grille and a plurality of geometricpanels.
 6. A method for enhancing the appearance of a metallic surfacecomprising: placing a window or door facade on the metallic surface,wherein the window or door facade is cut to a user-defined shape andsize and comprises: a sheet, the sheet having a first side having amagnetic material and a second side, wherein the second side displays agraphic representation; and wherein the graphic representation thegraphic representation is includes a grille and a plurality of geometricpanels.
 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the grille and theplurality of geometric panels are color-coded to match the metallicsurface.
 8. A custom made window or door facade comprising: a sheet cutto a user-defined shape and size, the sheet having a first side having amagnetic material and a second side, wherein the second side displays agraphic representation; and wherein the graphic representation isincludes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.
 9. A custom madewindow according to claim 8, wherein the grille and the plurality ofgeometric panels are color-coded.
 10. A custom made window or doorfacade comprising: a sheet; at least one magnet attached to the sheet;and a graphic representation placed on the sheet; wherein the graphicrepresentation includes a grille and a plurality of geometric panels.